Remember when we first had a glimpse of Sony PS3 or PSP? All I ever heard was "Wow, it can do that too?" or "I gotta have one of these". The euphoria did not last long after spending all night in front of "best buys" on the release day.

We all have seen the products that get introduced into the market with tons of hype. Marketers think that hype sells. Sure it does, but only for a very short period of time. I have a tendency to quickly look beyond the drama and in iPhone' case, there is lot.

1. 3G Compatibility

There is none. While the rest of the world enjoys high speed data connectivity to mobile phones for a long time now, Cingular in US has big holes in the coverage. Since iPhone is being offered on Cingular network, guys at Apple decided to not offer it. Will Wifi help bridge that gap? Yeah! only when you are connected on a hotspot at your coffeehouse.

2. No direct downloads from iTunes

What? Isn't what a "connected iPod" expected to do? When asked, a company executive answered to ITWire that music is supposed to live on PC or Mac, not on iPhone. C'mon Apple, don't tell us where to keep our music library. I am ready to pay 99c and I want to listen to a number right now. Not when I go back home and turn on my PC.

3. It runs OS-X

Now! what does that mean really? Apple says it can multitask. Oh! so you mean I can compose a spreadsheet, write a document, download music while chatting with my girl friend?

UhhhH! not really. iPhone is either a phone, or an iPod or an "internet device", and only once at a time. You will realize this when your iPhone is hooked to your audio system, you are dancing with your friends on the latest remixed number, and a call comes in.

4. It may not be called an iPhone after all

iPhone is a name trademarked by CISCO. So, not sure if Apple did its research before choosing this name. You might have noticed this on the commercials, there is no name for this device as of this moment.

5. Who can afford this?

Maybe, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. 'Cause I don't think I have $600 to cough up for a phone. This phone is targeted for glamor, business and for teenagers who just got a fat check from their grandma. Business, is a gray area too 'cause it's not known what kind of business applications could you run on it. What kind of compatibility problems will Windows users face etc. Given the long history of Apple on these things, it will be a while before serious users will consider upgrading.

6. Closed system

This one is no brainer considering the device comes from Apple. Anyone who ever had a broken hard drive or batter on their iPod or ever wanted an upgrade on their iMac know it very well. You have pay a hefty price for repairs and upgrades because everything must travel back to Apple. You can't just run to your local electronics store, buy a batter and plop it in.

The iPhone is likely to be no different. To fix it, you'll probably have to bring it to an Apple Store. To expand it, you'll probably have to buy a new iPhone

7. Expensive month to month costs

To really use iPhone, you'd need data plans. Be prepared to budget $100 - $200 per month to use iPhone as it is designed to be used. Cingular has data plans that costs $40 for unlimited access. It is very likely that with iPhone, they might offer a different plan worth even more. To avail any discounts, you will be required to sign up for a dataplan.

8. Proprietary Programs to manage it

Just like iTunes - iPod marriage, iPhone will have its counterpart sitting on your computer. Nothing moves out of these programs because interoperability is a word Apple still needs to learn. So, once your iPhone lands belly up, you have to buy another iPhone to transfer your address book. Any other phone will not make it.

9. You can't do anything without looking

iPhone is all touch screen. To do anything, it requires your complete visual attention. I won't even think about calling someone while driving, even if I have the headsets on.

All that being said, one thing that everybody has to give credit to Apple is their user interface. iPhone lives up to that expectation very well. Only time will tell if that alone can make iPhone as ubiquitous as iPod.